Theatre on a Mission brings a creative outlet to orphans in Kenya

In the summer of 2011, members of Theatre on a Mission put on a theater camp for children at a Kenya orphanage.

Two years ago Chelsey Cain and some of her high school and college thespian friends traveled almost 8,000 miles from Jacksonville to introduce theater to children at a Kenyan orphanage.

They raised $58,000 to pay their collective way.

The trip was so life-changing for them and the orphans that Cain, 19, now an elementary education major at the University of North Florida, is planning a return engagement.

“Theater has a great ability to reach people,” she said. “To see the kids come to life. They forget the struggles they have, they become kids again.”

BONDO COMMUNITY

Cain’s Kenyan connection began four years ago when she began sponsoring an orphan named Aisha, who lives at the Foundation Stone Ministry Orphanage in a community called Bondo.

But she wanted to do more.

She wanted to meet Aisha in person. And she wanted to bring the joy of theater, one of her passions, to the orphanage, to children who might never get to experience it otherwise. The goal was to give the children a creative way to express themselves, to build their confidence, show them how to work as a team and to provide them a way to escape — at least for awhile — their circumstances. At the time, the orphanage did not have running water and the children had to walk miles to get to school.

Cain recruited fellow theater students from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Stanton College Preparatory High School and Fletcher High School. They called themselves “Theatre on a Mission” and made the trip in the summer of 2011.

“It was a dream come true. All the work paid off,” she said.

They stayed at the orphanage, where they held a weeklong theater camp and staged a play that included the children. The play brought in enough donations — half a million shillings, about $6,000 in U.S. dollars — to provide running water to the orphanage, Cain said.

Also, they visited two village schools, teaching theater games and more to about 1,200 students.

Danielle Glenn, 18, a theater major at Florida State College at Jacksonville, was one of the students who accompanied Cain. She was touched by the children, who she said were welcoming and receptive.

“They were extremely happy to see you. That was so reassuring,” she said.

The orphans had a positive attitude despite their circumstances, which made their U.S. guests appreciate what they had back home.

“We saw how fortunate we were,” she said. “They handled everything so well.”

WORD GOT AROUND

After they returned home, word spread among North Florida school thespian groups about their trip.

Cain, Glenn and a few of the other students who went to Kenya in 2011 began planning a return and a new batch of students signed up. The next trip, planned for July 2014, is to include students from Douglas Anderson, Stanton, the University of Florida, University of North Florida, Florida State College at Jacksonville and Sandalwood High.

They are raising funds to pay their way, about $3,500 per person. Once in Kenya, they hope to raise enough money to build a small school on the orphanage campus.

“It’s a huge commitment. I never thought I would do this,” said Devin Reardon, a Douglas Anderson senior and one of the new recruits. “I heard about how amazing it was ... how the kids reacted to it. They brought something these kids never see — an artistic side.”

Meredith Key, another senior at Douglas Anderson, considered going on the first trip but was too busy. She plans to be part of the second group.

“I saw how the experience affected them, knowing they had done something that made a difference in kids’ lives,” she said.